I know home-schooling is more common in big families.  I don't know if it's like a big family philosophy type thing or if it's because of the cost of sending kids to school (even free public school costs $$), but it does seem more common with "big" families.  I think 4 kids counts as a big family?  Dunno. 

All I know is, I will NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER homeschool. 

School starts in less than 2 weeks here and it cannot come soon enough. It's too hot most of the time to play outside and the boys don't really know anyone around here so that ends up being them playing and fighting with each other all day in my house. 

I spend as much time re-cleaning as I do cleaning.  This is mostly not the boys' fault.  It's really Isabella.  Yesterday, after I had hand scrubbed the kitchen floor the day before, she got generic cocoa puffs and milk all over the floor.  And it looked like she ice skated on it.  I was doing laundry in the garage and Orian was at the table with her, but I don't think you can really blame an almost 8 year old for something an almost 2 year old does.

The cocoa puffs were wet, so they stuck to the floor like goo.  Orian actually offered to clean the floor with me, which was nice.  But first Isabella had to have a nice, thorough bath.  And while I was in there I decided to scrub the marker off the colorful wooden shelf that's in there for holding towels.  If you give a mouse a cookie...

Today has been fighting, fighting, fighting.  Xavier is always on Orian's case.  And you would think he would figure out that he needs to stop since Orian is bigger than he is and can deliver quite a beating.  But no, everything Orian says or does is wrong and Orian ends up getting nagged all day long.  I have never known a kid so obsessed with making someone else's life miserable. 

They have their moments of loving kindness, but not today.

At one point I sent Xavier to bed because I *think* he rolled his eyes at me.  When he was able to get up, he tearfully apologized and then tried to tell me he didn't roll his eyes.  I told him, it's better to just apologize and not argue about whether or not you were wrongfully accused.  Less likely to piss me off.

Later, he wanted to watch a movie and did watch it happily for quite some time until Orian headed upstairs to play a game.  Xavier immediately bounded up the stairs to accost Orian and generally make him miserable.  I forced him to finish the movie, which was a horrible punishment apparently even though it's his favorite movie ever.  Argh.

Today Isabella has crushed a PB&J (well, it was almond butter and cherry preserves) sandwich in the vicinity of the couch, stripped naked at least twice, spilled milk on the carpet, and spilled sunflower seeds (just the nuts) all over the dining room (Orian was eating them and she grabbed his plate).  She also took all the remotes and put them in our bedroom.

I actually took a video of the sunflower seed incident but I have no idea how to add that, so I guess you guys will just have to use your imagination to picture the carnage.

The boys are very helpful when it comes to putting away laundry, taking out the trash, vacuuming, and other daily tasks, but I think sending them back to school will be worth the extra chores I'll have to do myself during the day.

I don't know if this is normal for everyone else, but the living room and dining room seriously have to be vacuuming twice or more times per day.

I just heard a weird sound.  I said, "What's that sound?"

"Coffee"

"Why is the coffee pot on?"

See what I have to deal with!!

Home school parents much have way more patience than I do or be more organized or better parents or something, because seriously if I had to try to manage this chaos AND teach them each a age-appropriate cirriculum, it would probably end badly. 

I love them to pieces and I am so lucky to be able to spend so much time with them.  I really am.  I don't want to sound ungrateful.  All I'm saying is, I am glad school starts soon, because I am D-U-N with summer!